• Posted September 8, 2025

Kids with High BP May Face Risk of Early Heart Disease Death as Adults

A heart health journey may start much earlier than once thought, as new research shows that kids with higher blood pressure at age 7 had a sharply increased risk of dying of heart disease by their mid-50s.

The preliminary findings were presented Sunday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

The study is the first to examine the impact of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in childhood on the long-term risk of heart-related death across a diverse group of children. 

Systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, is the force exerted in arteries while the heart is beating. Diastolic pressure is force between beats.

"We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later," said lead author Alexa Freedman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Evanston, Ill.

"Specifically, having hypertension or elevated blood pressure as a child may increase the risk of death by 40% to 50% over the next five decades of an individual’s life,” she added in a news release.

The study followed some 38,000 children who were part of a massive health study across 12 U.S. sites in the 1960s and 1970s. Their blood pressure was measured at age 7, and researchers tracked their survival and causes of death through 2016. 

The analysis accounted for demographic factors and body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight. The aim: to ensure the findings were tied to blood pressure itself, and not to childhood weight.

By the time participants reached an average age of 54, a total of 2,837 had died. Of those, 504 deaths were attributed to heart disease. 

The analysis found a clear link between higher blood pressure in childhood and an increased risk of early death from heart issues. The risk was greatest for kids whose blood pressure was in the top 10% for their age, sex and height.

Both elevated blood pressure (120-129 over less than 80) and hypertension (130 or higher over 80 or higher) were tied to a 40% to 50% higher risk of premature heart-related death in adulthood, the research showed. 

Even children with blood pressure within the normal range but on the higher end faced a 13% to 18% higher risk of early death from heart-related causes, underscoring the importance of early intervention and screening.

Dr. Bonita Falkner, is an emeritus professor of pediatrics and medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and volunteer expert with the American Heart Association who reviewed the findings.

“The results of this study support monitoring blood pressure as an important metric of cardiovascular health in childhood,” she said in an AHA news release.

A separate analysis of 150 sibling pairs found that 7-year-olds with higher blood pressure had a similar risk of heart-related death as their siblings with lower blood pressure. 

Researchers said this indicates that shared family and early childhood environment could not fully explain the link between childhood blood pressure and adult death risk.

“Even in childhood, blood pressure numbers are important because high blood pressure in children can have serious consequences throughout their lives,” Freedman said. "It is crucial to be aware of your child’s blood pressure readings."

The study has some limitations, researchers noted.

For one, using only one blood pressure measurement at age 7 may not capture long-term trends. Additionally, most participants were Black or white, so the findings may not apply to other racial or ethnic groups.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on high blood pressure in children.

SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, Sept. 7, 2025